Love Uninterrupted
by BittenByRadioactiveEdward
Summary: Edward didn't leave after Bella's birthday. He stayed and they worked it out. With him still in town and Jacob out of the picture how is it that Bella still manages to find herself in mortal danger? Edward x Bella story.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: The story has absolutely nothing to do with Eclipse, or New Moon really because Edward never leaves. So just skip A/N down there if u haven't finished Eclipse completely. Oh and this starts in Bella's bedroom right after the whole birthday party fiasco. And the first paragraph, which is in italics, is the last true part of New Moon (middle of page 50) and then the separate story starts.**

Disclaimer: I own nothing, nobody, no place and no rights to the characters and world that Stephenie Meyer created in any of this story's chapters.

**WARNING ECLIPSE SPOILER A/N: OK so I reacted very badly to Bella being in love with Jacob and am now in a very sad place and nothing I try is cheering me up and I have these sad thoughts when I think about it so I decided to create a world where Bella never befriended Jacob Black and therefore could never make the disgusting decision to **_**love **_**him. EUGH, my loyalty is to Edward and though many people came to like Jacob better, I hated him better. I did think the Eclipse was excellent though and I hold no grudges against Stephenie Meyer for her decision. But this is a strictly Edward and Bella story because they belong together and her love should not be divided. Ok enjoy!!!!-Bitten**

One: My Protector

"_It's late," Edward noted. He scooped me up off the bed with one arm, and pulled the cover back with the other. He put me down with my head on my pillow and tucked the quilt around me. He lay down next to me-on the top of the blanket so I wouldn't get chilled-and put his arm over me._

"Despite everything, this was nice." I whispered, snuggling against him. "And your gift," my voice broke remembering the beautiful music on my CD. "It will keep me happy like money never will." I finished, trying to compose myself but a few tears slipped out.

"Bella, how was it nice?" His voice was guarded, "Don't you realize now how close you came to…" He trailed of, his words strained.

I took a shaky breath, I was trying to ignore that part. "It wasn't his fault. If I hadn't been so careless-"

"Wasn't his fault?" He was livid, through the dark I saw his neck strain and his arm flexed on top of me. "He nearly attacked you, he most certainly would have if I hadn't been there. Realize that. Realize, also, that if I didn't love you as much as I do, I may not have been able to control myself." He was whispering furiously.

My eyes burned and I held my eyelids open hoping to dry the tears. "But…but you did control yourself. Jasper is…he isn't as strong as you. And you were there, you would never let anything happen to me." I was convincing myself as well as trying to reason with Edward. In truth, it was the second most horrifying experience of my life.

His voice softened at my plea. "Oh, Bella. I can't protect you from everything, especially us. I should leave. I should leave and you would be safer than you have been for months. Can't you see that _we_ are your biggest threat?" He was urgent as if he were truly considering leaving me.

"Are you asking permission?" I snapped, my voice was sharp and surprisingly even.

"No Bella…It's not like that…that's not what I meant. I mean…" I had seen him at a loss for words fewer times than I could count on one hand. But he didn't out and out deny it.

I raised my voice in a moment of hysteria. "How could you do anything of the sort? _Why_ would you even think about it? What about me? I need you, damn safety and damn protection! I'd rather be _dead_ than be without you." He cringed at my last words but I didn't care. I was furious.

His voice was less than a whisper "Bella, please. Charlie will wake. You know that if anything ever managed to happen to you, I couldn't live with myself-I _wouldn't_ live with myself. If we weren't here, there would be no danger."

Something stirred inside of me and I grabbed at his collar pulling myself within an inch from his face. "If you left, I would have nothing more to live for. I would die." My eyes were frantic, searching his face and his eyes for signs of comprehension but all that I saw was remorse and deep sorrow and a flash of anger.

"You wouldn't." He said tightly.

"Don't test me." I set my jaw and looked deep into his golden eyes. What ever had come over me was draining and I could no longer maintain my fierce façade. "Please, I can hardly imagine myself without you. Don't make me live it." I begged him softly, my fingers still holding fast to the collar of his shirt.

"What makes you think _I_ could be without you?" In spite of my death drip, he easily unlocked my fingers from his collar and pulled my arms behind his neck. His hands slid up my arms and found the sides of my face, still holing it inches from his. "You are, quite literally, my everything. I've already told you, I live and will die for you. If-" I cut him off.

"But you said-" He returned my previous gesture.

"It was a fleeting thought. And you, small and fragile as you are, influence me immensely. Your voice and your hair, your eyes and how you smell. The warmth of you whenever you touch me are all things that I couldn't possibly leave behind. I shouldn't have said anything." He spoke slowly so that I could catch every word and his eyes urged mine to understand.

"NO!" I yelled too loudly, "No. Even though I still think I may be dreaming, if you hadn't said anything it may have turned into a full fledged plan and that plan may have been carried out." I felt a stab of pain in the middle of my chest. "Please, always tell me. Always talk to me, even if it might make me irate to the point of insanity, _tell me_ so that we can work it out together." I bit my lip, fighting back thoughts of future discussions similar to this one.

"I will, if I ever should need to but I sincerely hope that nothing of the sort ever comes to mind. I feel absolutely terrible that I even considered it." I searched for the lie, some indication that he was just telling me this to appease me but he was completely genuine.

"Good." I said finally and closed the distance between his lips and mine. He allowed a few more seconds of time, an extended apology I supposed. I moved quickly to make the best of my limited time by moving my hands into his hair and simultaneously rolling on top of him. His lips smiled beneath mine and gave me a final, short peck before lifting my face from his.

"How terrible it would be if you could actually hold a grudge. I would actually have to _work_ for my kiss." He smiled and ran a cool finger below my eye. "You're tired Bella, get some rest." My retaliation to his smart comment melted away as I realized how _exhausted_ I was from the long day.

I fell into a deep sleep where my dreams were vivid and clear.

It was bright out and the sudden light was so blinding, my eyes were still focusing as a cold hand pulled mine forward. I willingly followed, wondering what Edward had up his sleeve.

_What's with all of this, Edward?_ I asked as I looked from his sparkling hand that was throwing rainbows against mine, why did his fingers look bigger, to the unfamiliar surroundings. We were on a beach, somewhere in Washington I assumed, as I observed the towering trees farther off, reflecting on the water.

_Edward isn't here_. I heard a familiar voice explain, until recently I wouldn't have been frightened but I looked up at the tallest Cullen brother, his blonde hair shining immensely in the glaring sun. I gasped in fear and surprise.

_When is he coming?_ I tried to ask evenly but my voice shook uncontrollably. My widening eyes also gave me away. Jasper's eyes narrowed and instantly darkened. He tightened his hand on mine, his grip hurt and I buckled in pain he continued to pull me along the beach.

_Don't be that way Bella._ He cooed, terrifyingly close. _Edward isn't coming, but I'm here._

_Edward!_ I sobbed frantically, _Please! Where are you? You're supposed to be here!_ I scanned the shoreline and the trees but he never appeared. I swung my head in protest and the last thing I saw was Jasper's black, blood thirsty eyes.

I woke with a start and the sky outside my window was just as black as it had been when I had fallen into the false reality. My head lay against Edward's chest, near his shoulder. Though his body lay flat on his back, one of his arms around me lightly tracing patterns on my back, his head was bent, eyes watching me intently in alarm.

"Are you alright?" He asked gently, "You weren't having a very happy dream. You were restless and mumbling incomprehensibly."

"I'm fine now. Bad dream." I didn't want to elaborate because I thought that he would do something rash.

"Want to talk." He was not pressing, just perfect as Edward often was. "You scared me." He admitted, kissing my hair.

"Maybe later?" My response came as more of a question.

"I'm always here." He murmured. I felt safe again and laid my right arm on his chest, pulling myself closer to him. Within minutes I was asleep again. My dreams were insignificant and mundane. When I woke the next morning, they had all dissolved from my memory, all but the first.

"Good morning, beautiful." He chuckled. The fuzziness of first-consciousness cleared and I groggily opened my eyes. My face was nestled into the crook of an elbow that was not mine. My body curved against the side of Edwards and my head bent so that I fit into the space between him and his arm.

"Is that supposed to be funny?" I asked, my voice raspy with sleep. I was still unsure of my physical state, appearance-wise.

"No." He responded, laughing again.

I pushed myself up, unwilling because if I didn't, I would be late to school. A quick glance at the clock told me that I was far beyond being late. It was 10:30. I allowed one of my fists to land heavily on Edward's chest but he just raised an amused eyebrow and the side of my hand ached from the impact.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" I complained, laying back down next to him.

"You're cute when you sleep." He said simply, his eyes twinkling. I shook my head. "I didn't want to go to school?" He tried again. I pretended to think a moment and shook my head again. "I wanted to spend the day with you and no one else?" He smiled, showing his brilliant, white teeth.

"Okay." I breathed and lay back against his chest. Charlie would never know because he is always gone when I leave and come back from school. Plus, after mine and Edward's rather jarring conversation the previous night I didn't want to let him out of my sight even for a minute.

"I actually was hoping we would be able to go see Carlisle and Esme. I think Alice may have seen something before she left and told them." Wait, what? Alice left? Saw what? Why would Edward need to talk to Carlisle and Esme about it?

"Huh?" I thought the word covered all of my questions nicely.

"Well, I think Alice saw us…leaving." His mouth twitched.

"Where were we going?" I eyes him suspiciously, I didn't like how strained his voice was.

"Not us."-He gestured between himself and me-"Everyone else." He cringed away, anticipating my reaction.

"I knew it! You liar." I hit him again and he, yet again didn't feel it. I jumped out of the bed and stormed to my door. Before I had even touched the handle, I felt his cold hand on my upper arm.

"Bella." He said calmly, "I did not lie to you. I told you it was a thought, Alice sees decisions, remember? Nothing she sees is set in stone so when she saw that I was planning on leaving, she informed Carlisle and Esme." He spoke as if I were a child and I felt like running away because of it but I couldn't help but believe him because his face was earnest.

"When exactly was this?" I narrowed my eyes, inspecting him. Had he left that night to check on his family? Could he possibly 'hear' them this far away?

He was reluctant. "Yesterday, at the house."

"You said it was _fleeting_. Like a super fast thought that hardly even registers. Not something you had been brooding over for _hours_."

"Well, vampire-fleeting and human-fleeting are different. I could think about something for days and it could still be fleeting because I see time differently than you." He led me back to the bed and we sat on the edge.

"Okay," I said slowly, "So, what about Alice what did you mean by 'before she left'? Where did she go? Wh-" But as soon as I said it, I realized. She and Jasper were gone.

"She and Jasper left last night and were planning on going to Denali, or at least Alice wanted to get Jasper there." He looked at me uncomfortably, "Alice thought that after we left, everyone else would meet them."

"Well, she certainly thought quickly." I couldn't keep myself from being bitter. Did she not realize that Edward might not go through with it? I shouldn't think like that, Alice was my friend and she was just doing right by Jasper, same as I would have for Edward.

"Hm." Was all Edward added on the subject. "You should eat breakfast. Do you want me to spoon feed you?" He smiled, "It'd be so cute." He taunted.

"Why can't I feed myself?" I asked, defiant.

"Well Bella, you cut your arm." He gestured at my forearm. I had forgotten about my arm and once I was conscious of the wound again, it began to throb. It had probably been suppressed by the coolness of Edward's skin when I was sleeping.

"I can lift a spoon with my other hand. Thanks though." I rolled my eyes sarcastically and hurried to the bathroom to brush my teeth and run a hopeless comb through my hair. I gave up and threw it into a haphazard ponytail, convinced that he was going to take off if I didn't get back soon.

He was still there, of course, and I ate breakfast in silence and we were at the Cullens' by 11 thanks to Edward's maniacal driving and the fact that I didn't even bother to change out of my pajamas.

"Oh Bella, this shouldn't have happened! We should have known something like this was possible. We could have put your gifts in bags rather than wrapping paper." Esme pulled me into a huge hug and apologized profusely.

"No Esme. No one is to blame. It was just a really unfortunate accident." I smiled as best I could at her. I felt awful though, I had ripped her family apart.

"You're so sweet Bella, and Jasper, oh he feels so terrible" His name made me shudder ever so slightly. I hoped Esme was too caught up in her emotions not to notice. I reminded myself that it was only a dream and that Jasper was always kind to me. Never a curt word or menacing gesture but I couldn't shake the image of my dream.

Edward and Carlisle had been engaged in a low conversation, standing away from Esme and I in their elegant living room but it appeared to be over because Edward returned to my side and laced his fingers through mine.

Carlisle moved his lips quickly behind Esme and she excused herself at once.

"They are deciding if they should proceed to Denali and wait for Jasper and Alice or wait here for me to graduate and give Alice and Jasper some space." Edward explained quietly leading me toward the couch. "Rose and Emmett are staying here a while, a break from Europe so if Esme and Carlisle were to leave, I would have their company. And yours of course, if you still wanted to come over." He offered the option indifferently but watched my reaction very closely.

"I wouldn't mind at all, I love your family." I answered truthfully.

He tensed at my words. "Careful Bella. Don't get too close, it's a dangerous thing."

"It's a bit late for that." I leaned against him and closed my eyes, taking him in, realizing again how incredibly lucky I was for him. What if he _had_ gone? I shook the thought from my head and breathed deeply. I smelled Edward, my future.

**A/N: ok sorry that last part was kind of cheesy but hey, its true. I will get to plot but having just Edward and Bella (even though they were sort of fighting) makes me feel better but more will happen next chapter. Review if you like-Bitten**


	2. Mischievous Games

**A/N: Hello!!! I know I haven't written in like over a week, I've been busy with school starting and all but this chapter is here now. Bear with me for just this one little chapter because it isn't fun filled and adventurous but I just needed to get a couple of things out of the way. Ok, enjoy! Bitten.**

Two: Mischievous Games

I lay awake, not wanting to surrender to sleep, convinced that my terrible dream would return. I tried to appear as though I was asleep so that I wouldn't have to discuss my unease, Edward wasn't fooled for a second.

"Is there a reason you are depriving yourself of something so delicious as sleep?" Edward made sure the blanket was securely around me and then pulled me closer to his chest.

"Sometimes it isn't so delicious." I mumbled.

"Why's that?"

"Well, sometimes you don't get enough sleep or sometimes you have nightmares or sometimes you could spend the wasted time with the boy you love." I threw it in hoping he believed it was the reason I was holding my eyes open so that I wouldn't even _consider_ sleeping.

"I would be here even if you were sleeping. You know that." His voice was practical and made me feel like a small child.

"But it's not the same." I whined, "I don't consciously know that you're right here with me."

"That's silly Bella."

"I'd be the first one to admit it, trust me. But that doesn't make it any less of a reason."

"Yes. I supposed but nightmares…" His voice was patronizing.

"What about them?" I asked defensively.

"Well, five year olds have nightmares."

"Five year olds also believe in vampires." I grumbled into his cold chest.

"What's that supposed to mean? You have nightmares because you believe in vampires or that you're five years old." I had trapped myself in a corner, if I said either he knew I would mean that I believed in vampires.

"No. Just that maybe five year olds aren't as childish and unknowing as you think they are, they just might be justified in their beliefs and in having nightmares." I was proud of my quick thinking and Edward let it drop.

He hummed in my ear and as much as I fought back the sleep, it fought two times harder and I was soon overcome. My dream did not return and I dreamed of superficial things that escaped with the darkness when I opened my eyes to the cloud covered morning.

"You slept well, though you did say something in Chinese." I looked at him, incredulous. "I swear it was Chinese…or something Asian." He shrugged carelessly.

"So, are we going to school today or are we playing hooky again?" I made a face. Hooky in Forks was less than exciting.

"I suppose school is alright, if you're willing to get dressed this second and waive breakfast." He gestured at the clock, we had ten minutes.

"Why don't you wake me up anymore?" I complained as I half walked, half fell to my closet. I grabbed at the first shirt in my vision and the jeans I had worn three days ago. I tried doing a tricky move that was supposed to make my shirt right-side-out and let me put it on at the same time but I ended up all tangled.

"I have been to school for decades. I've only been with you for months." He explained, gently straightening my shirt out and planting a kiss on top of my head.

"Yeah well, this is my first time and they're going to drop me if I miss too much school and then you'll be dating a high school drop out." I tugged my knotted hair into a high ponytail.

"Well mother would never have that." He laughed in mock concern.

"Can we go please?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"If you wish," He stood back and surveyed me. "Alice would be so disappointed." I could just imagine her expression at the sight of my hair in disarray and my plain jeans and t-shirt. "But I rather like it, the t-shirt especially." The t-shirt, now that I looked at it wasn't mine at all.

"Is this _yours_?" I was shocked. If Charlie had seen it, oh god, I cant even imagine.

"Well Bella, if I come here after school and spend the night and then go to school the next day, I would be wearing the same thing. Now that gets a bit suspicious when you and I arrive together everyday at school. We wouldn't want anyone becoming alarmed and notifying the Chief." He laughed at my bewildered expression.

I had no idea he even wore clothes. Well, that isn't true. I didn't pay attention to what he wore. "So you keep clothes here?"

"That's the conclusion. Come on, you don't want to be late." He hurried me down the stairs and out the door.

"So, how much stuff do you actually have here?" I wondered. I tried to remember washing something unfamiliar or seeing something foreign in my closet.

"Well, sometimes I don't home for days. When I leave while you and Charlie have dinner, I usually wander through the forest around the house." He smiled sheepishly, "I don't like leaving you there. Alone."

"I have Charlie." I didn't feel nearly as safe with Charlie as I did with Edward but I hated depriving Edward of his family and vice versa.

Edward snorted as he maneuvered my truck into one of the last spots in the parking lot. In a second, he was at my window. "Sure, of course. I forgot Charlie could lift whole vans off of you." My door swung open and I stepped out in to the crisp, Washington autumn air.

School was dull and incredibly uneventful. I was beginning to wonder why I had actually dragged myself out of bed to be submitted to this torture.

At lunch I began to think of inventive ways to have fun but none of which could be achieved without Edward's handy mind reading ability, which he refused to use for malice.

A few of my ideas were: listen to people's thoughts and slip notes commenting on them into their lockers, listen to people's thoughts at lunch and have a huge laugh, find people who thought badly about me and Edward and try to befriend them by using their thoughts to have everything in common with them, listen to people's thoughts about what they want and then put the items in their lockers, listen to people wondering what someone else was thinking and then writing down what the other person was thinking and put it in their locker.

The locker adds anonymity. But Edward steadfastly refused the games throughout lunch.

"I cant believe we have another seven months of this." I looked around the cafeteria at the familiar people. A group of freshmen had gathered at the end of mine and Edward's table and it confused us.

Edward made eye contact with a small girl at the end of the table and I could just imagine what she was thinking as his eyes bored into hers. Amusing even more was the flush of red that rose from her neck up to her cheeks. One side of Edward's lips rose into his most irresistible crooked smile and the girl's mouth opened slightly at his beauty.

Her eyes watered from refusing to blink and her features were frozen into an expression of shock and awe.

Edward turned away trying to contain his laughter as I gave him an accusatory look. "Please explain to me how that wasn't mean." I glared at him. "You could have caused her to faint."

I could see the strain in his neck from trying to stifle the laughter and he wouldn't dare speak in case he began to laugh. "So I was in English and we were reading this passage in…Romeo and Juliet and everyone was silent and all of the sudden, Mike Newton's pocket started playing Killer Queen by Queen and it was his phone. I think he may be sexually confused." I told the fake story loud enough for the group of freshmen to hear and it made Edward break the hold on his laughter.

"English class, huh?" He asked in a hushed voice, "I'm in your English class, I must have missed that."

"Well, you should get your hearing checked."

"It must be the old age." He mused.

"Ugh. _You're_ not the one getting old." The thought depressed me and I inadvertently looked at the poor girl that Edward had mischievously toyed with. She looked pleased that our conversation appeared to be going downward.

"Not now please Bella." He smiled warningly. "So I have a new admirer. She seems to think we're fighting because of her."

"We aren't fighting." I retorted defensively.

"_She _doesn't know that. She also seems to have a crush on me." He glanced in their direction briefly.

"Gee, I wonder why." I rolled my eyes.

"It was worth it. Her mind literally froze up. She didn't know what to _think_, who doesn't know what to think?" He smiled at his discovery and reached across the table for my hand. Our fingers twined together. "So I was thinking we could do something this weekend. Away from Forks, my family, Charlie, all of these people."

"And what purpose would that serve?" The only answer I truly wanted, the one where he told me that he would make me like him, was the only one I knew for certain that he wouldn't say.

"I miss being just us." He pulled our twisted hands up to his mouth and kissed the back of my hand, "Please?"

There would never be a day that I refused a trip to be alone with Edward. But I wouldn't dare tell him that, he was concerned that I was too attached. There was no denying I was but still no reason to bring it to his attention even more.

"Of course. We can even take the Volvo."

"But…" Edward prompted me, he knew there must be a catch.

"No but, I'm just glad to be able to be with you. I mean you could have _left_. Alice saw it and I know her visions aren't permanent but it means that it really could have happened. So if you're there, I'm happy."

"I can drive?"

"It matters?"

"Well, if you drove, we wouldn't get there for _years_." He smiled and my heart was sent into a frenzy, pumping the unavoidable blush into my cheeks. I couldn't believe that after everything, a smile could topple my delicate balance of calmness.

"Where are we going?" I asked as he brought his cool hand up to me cheek probably in an attempt to calm the blush but the tiny public display of affection sent another wave of warmth through my cheeks.

"I should just stop trying to help huh?" He chuckled at the flush of red, "I was hoping you would come to Seattle with me. Sort of the trip we never took."

"There are people everywhere in Seattle." Didn't that defeat the purpose of 'just us'?

"Not people we know. And we could actually go on a date." He looked as though he had thought our weekend rather well.

"Going on a date seems so…I don't know. I didn't realize…I don't really know what I'm saying. I guess I don't really know how to go on a date." I just put it out there. What else could I say?

"Well, we went to prom. And that day in Port Angeles, I bought you dinner. And the meadow sort of counts." We both looked at each other wide-eyed and laughed freely at how strange this was. We were put on this planet to be together, I could feel it and I was sure Edward could too but somehow we had managed to skip the actual formal dating. Maybe it was a good thing.

"What then? Like dinner?" I asked awkwardly. That would be so strange. Not just because it would be an actual date with Edward but also because he wouldn't eat anything.

"I was thinking more along the lines of a movie. What piece of crap film has the movie industry most recently polluted the public with?"

"I'm sure there's an excellent vampire movie we could see." I teased.

"No such thing." Edward scoffed.

"You're kind of limiting our date options." I complained, "How about we just get a hotel room with-" Edward cut me off at the mention of a hotel room.

"No that's not the greatest-"

"Hi. My weekend too. Plus I wasn't going to suggest anything _dirty_. I was going to say that we could get a hotel room with a view of Lake Union and order room service and it would be like going to a cozy little restaurant without the fussy waiters and waitresses and sterile white linen." I thought it was a rather ingenious idea myself but he made a face.

"It wouldn't be a real date then. It would be a date substitute." The bell rang and he rose fluidly, still with my fingers locked in his. "I think we should go to Seattle, buy you something especially nice and then go out to dinner."

"There's just this one thing, you don't eat my food. Oh and another thing, I cant afford something _especially nice._" I knew what he was going to say next, or at least in response to my feeble financial excuse.

"Well Bella, I can. And though I know that I would never need to buy your love, I was hoping you could let me buy your forgiveness." I could feel him looking intently down at me and it took everything I had not to look into his eyes or else I would forget everything except for him.

"Forgiveness? For what?"

"Well, my brother nearly killed you and that same night I announced that I was considering leaving you. I feel as though a simple _I'm sorry_ isn't enough. I need to do this for you Bella. I want to do something nice so that I know _you_ know that I made a grand gesture." I had to look up at him, not being able to see him was beginning to hurt because I knew he was so close.

Damn. His eyes melted every word that had been forming in my head and I managed a weak "No." before slouching into his side as we walked into our classroom We were taking an elective entomological biology class. Apparently it sounded excellent on a college resume, something about well rounded and educated in all areas. Regardless, Edward had forced me.

"And Bella, just because I don't _prefer _your food doesn't mean I wont eat it so that this can work." He whispered into my ear as we walked to our seats.

"It actually sounds nice," I mumbled as I slid into my seat. I wanted him to be happy and feel good about doing this and if it made him happy, I wouldn't stop it. "Thank you."

"Thank _you._"He said softly and gave my hand a squeeze. Quite unexpectedly, Edward began to laugh and a moment later, I found out why.

"What can you all tell me about vampires?" Our teacher called from the front of the class as the bell rang again to signal the start of classes.

Inadvertently, I inhaled too suddenly and managed to choke on my own saliva. I gripped my desk to steady myself and stared unblinking at our teacher, I just called him Mr. Bug. _What?_ _Vampires? _Weren't we in a class about _bugs? _Luckily no one had noticed my tiny episode and I righted myself, giving Edward a questioning look. He just smiled at me and rubbed circles around the crescent scar on my hand.

The usual string of characteristics were rattled off and with every example I had a fighting urge to laugh at the childish picture that my classmates were painting.

Mr. Bug smiled at the story book explanations, laughing slightly at one or two. "Now how about the vampires of nature?" The man asked. He was met by a deafening silence. "Mosquitoes."

That time I did actually laugh and every head in the class turned to me. "Yes Ms. um," he consulted a list of names he had at his desk/podium. "Swan? Why is this so amusing?" He smiled pleasantly, did he actually think I would give an insightful, meaningful answer for my giggle.

"Well, I guess I never really thought of mosquitoes as vampires." I stated dumbly. But they were small and pesky. They left itchy bumps everywhere and could be crushed between two fingers.

_My_ vampire was strong and beautiful. He was perfect and indestructible, nothing like a stupid mosquito.

"Oh yes. They feed on the blood of anything with exposed flesh and have become a bothersome component of Washington's…" He droned on about the habitats of Mosquitoes and what not while I dreamed about my weekend with Edward.

**A/N: Wow. It took me a while to get that out. (and for those of you who don't know what entomology is, it's the study of insects) Ok so this was kind of a filler chapter. Sorry, but the story begins to actually start developing next chapter so it will not all be like this. So hope you liked it. Next chapter will come quicker and will be more interesting, I promise. Ok. Don't forget to review! LOVE-Bitten**


	3. Home Away from Home

A/N: Here's chapter three. I know it took me _FOREVER_ to get it up but it is sort of important though it doesn't seem like it now. Next chapter will be up faster now that I'm sort of with it in school and know what I'm doing. K, enjoy! Bitten. 

Three: Home Away From Home

It was the Friday of our big weekend and I was beginning to get nervous. Edward had dropped me off after school to get ready for our first date, that's what I was referring to it as. But dating was not my thing. And when I needed Alice the most, of course she wasn't there. So I was officially mad at her.

I threw a couple of pairs of jeans and a nice top and two t-shirts into my small suitcase. My bathroom, I realized, was messy. There were a couple of towels on the floor and my shampoos and conditioners all laid haphazardly on the edge of my bathtub/shower or in the bath itself. I took the only closed bottles of shampoo and conditioner, they weren't the same make which only moderately annoyed me.

"Bella?" I was ready to be excited because Edward was there but it was not his unmistakable voice that met my ears.

"I'm up here, dad." I called down the stairs hoping that yelling would mask my disappointment.

"Oh. Well, I'm going down to La Push. Game's on and Billy invited me over. You can come too, I think that kid of his has a crush on you. Jacob, I think his name is." Charlie was tromping up the stairs.

"I have a boyfriend. And I rather like him, a lot, so I'm _rather_ uninterested in anyone else." I tried to make my point loud and clear. "And speaking of which, we are going to Seattle this weekend. He should be here any minute." If he wasn't there already.

"And you failed to mention that until now? Bella, I'm not sure if I would be responsible to let you go off to Seattle with some _boy_." He looked fiercely at me though I was sure he was picturing Edward.

"He isn't some boy. He's my boyfriend." How that was supposed to _help_ my argument I wasn't exactly sure. "I mean-"

"No Bella. I know what goes on when teenagers are alone without supervision." Like every night that Edward spends the night and we do _nothing?_ I wanted to scream but held my tongue, "Things get out of hand and you could end up getting hurt. Teenage boys want one thing Bella and Edward is a teenage boy."

This time I did scream. "You don't know! You don't know _anything_, Edward isn't just a teenage boy. He is incredible and devoted and he cares about me!"

Charlie was yelling now. I don't think a yelling match occurred in this house…ever. Charlie and I were the most shut in, quiet people I knew of. "For now! What about later Bella? What if he gets what he wants from you and you get cast aside? I wont let you do this. I don't want him to hurt you!" His face was reddening from anger. "I cant keep you from seeing him here or at school but you can damn well expect that I will prevent this!"

"He _wont_ hurt me. He would rather be nothing than be without me. He _loves _me! And I love him, don't you see that? He isn't just my boyfriend, he is my everything." Charlie's face froze, mid decision to scream back or not. "And besides, it wasn't like we were going to _do_ anything. We just wanted to get out of Forks and go somewhere new. Now who knows where we'll go."

I grabbed my shampoo and face wash. I could get a toothbrush and some tooth paste on the road. I stamped into my room throwing extra things into my suitcase. A quick glance out my window told me that Edward had arrived so I hurried for a couple more things and zipped my bag up.

In a soft, apologetic moment, I scribbled a note on a blank piece of printer paper.

_Dad- I'm sorry I snapped. I know that you're concerned and you have every right but I know Edward. I _do_ love him and I know that you think it's young, stupid love and it wont last but I also know you're wrong. If you knew Edward like I do, you would know that he isn't like other teenage boys. I love you. Bella_

I grabbed the paper and yelled, "I'm leaving." In the direction of Charlie's room.

Edward had obviously heard our conversation because he was standing at his car with a mixed expression.

Before getting in the Volvo, I opened the door of the cruiser and rested the paper in one of the holes on the steering wheel. My door to Edward's car was already open so I slid in and shut it a bit too forcefully, still slightly shaken by my fight with Charlie.

"Bella." Edward's voice was pleading, "I don't want this to affect your relationship with Charlie He is important to you and you are _very_ important to him."

"You're important to me too and if he doesn't accept that, then we have a problem." I crossed my arms across my chest and stared out my window.

"That shouldn't be a factor." He said coolly, "Charlie is your family and you-" I surprised myself by interrupting him.

"I'm sorry but this one little thing, is one little thing you don't have control over. Charlie is _my_ family and you are _my _boyfriend and if he doesn't understand that you are more than a high school sweetheart, you can't change my feelings on that. Because I do love you" I was out of breath and angry.

"That, my dear, was not the smartest thing to say to him either. He thinks I'm trying to get into your pants and that I am just more cunning than the rest. And how right he is." I could hear the smile in his voice and hiccupped a laugh. "That's better." He whispered.

"You still can't tell me whether I can like my dad or not. It doesn't work like that." His face hardened.

"I suppose you would have to be in his head to understand. Just, if you get a chance, take a second to see it through a father's point of view." Edward's voice was tense and I desperately wanted to change the subject.

"So what do you have planned?"

"Dinner."

"Dinner takes all of two hours. What _else_ do you have planned?"

"I was hoping you could have some say in it." He took my nervously tapping hand in his. "It's your weekend too."

"Well, I'm in desperate need of some new books so can we spend like a morning or afternoon down town?"

"Of course. Anything for you." He whispered, kissing my hand.

We were silent for most of the car ride. Edward slipped multiple CDs into his player. I had two favorites. One was an almost acoustic sounding band with thoughtful lyrics, another had the most absurd songs that I had ever heard. I guess that was the point because every time I laughed out loud at the words, Edward smiled.

The drive was long and by the time we entered the city, the sun was beginning to set.

"Wow, I haven't been here since last spring but that was the middle of the night and Alice was driving so fast it was probably a green blur behind us before it was even recognizable." Those were much more stressful times.

"This will be nothing like that. Besides, I even have to go the speed limit in some places because of those damn traffic cameras. You cannot imagine how stressful it is to try and make a court date when it is sunny outside. One time Emmett tried wearing a trench coat and a hat but he was arrested on suspicious behavior. It was a disaster." He shook his head and I giggled at the thought of Edward's huge brother in a trench coat moving up the steps of a courthouse.

"How'd he get out of that one?"

"He had Rose pick him up."

"And that helps how?"

"Rosalie is intoxicatingly beautiful to human men. She said a couple of words and Emmett was free." Edward shook his head.

"So are they staying in Forks or are Carlisle and Esme?" I had completely forgotten to ask about the decision on that through all of the date preparation and obsession.

"Carlisle and Esme are going to stay in Denali until Alice can convince him to join them and I'm not exactly sure how long they'll be there after that." He turned off of the freeway and began making his way through residential streets.

"Well that must kind of suck for Rosalie and Emmett. They must enjoy being newlyweds traveling around Europe as opposed to hanging around the house all day." He nodded slowly.

"Emmett's psyched. He has been on multiple honeymoons and though he thoroughly enjoys…aspects of the trip, he has taken a strong liking to you and is more than willing to come back and chaperone." Edward rolled his eyes. "I don't know why I can't just be here by myself." As he spoke we came over a huge slope and Lake Union came into view.

The lake was magnificent at sunset. There were still a couple of sailboats drifting lazily around and huge barges full of industrial material chugged steadily across the water. The factories and huge industrial buildings that the huge vessels were carrying the supplies to were out of view because of a bend in the lake. The ripples and waves that the boats caused threw the fiery in all directions.

"Oh my gosh." I breathed, "It's beautiful."

The hill did not dip down again for another quarter of a mile and the lake only got bigger and more impressive.

When the hill began to lower down to a park, Edward turned the Volvo right into what looked like an apartment complex.

"Ok. This is it." He flashed the smile that said that he knew something I didn't.

"Edward, you must have gotten the address wrong. This is an apartment building." I looked up at the building. It was certainly not an eyesore, not so big that other establishments behind it couldn't see but it was still roomy and looked like it had a wonderful view of Lake Union.

He pursed his lips. "Well, we should just check anyway." And not a second later, my door was open and his long, pale fingers were extended toward me. "Shall we?"

"Ok." I eyed the building skeptically, wondering what he had up his sleeve.

The reception room, or lobby or what ever we were to call it was cozy. A tiny fire crackled at the far wall and an elevator with four numbers on it stood at the other, next to it was a huge block of small mailboxes.

I punched at Edward's side but he only smirked and I struggled against the ache in my fingers, "This _is_ an apartment building. Why are we here?"

He didn't speak but beckoned me to the elevator where he pushed the "4" button.

"Come on. Where are you taking me?" I demanded once the elevator doors had closed.

He held my chin in the palm of his hand, his cold fingers resting against my cheek and he spoke softly. "Please keep your mind open and be patient for thirty more seconds." His index finger traced my bottom lip and I melted.

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. A hallway stretched in front of us. Generic off-white paint covered it's walls and a deep blue carpet laid in contrast on the flood. The odd thing though, was that there were only doors on the left side of the hall. And there were only two doors.

Edward walked smoothly to the furthest door and pulled a key out of what seemed to be nowhere. The lock twisted effortlessly and Edward pushed the door open.

"Where'd you get a key?" I asked now more than thoroughly confused.

"The previous owner." He explained as if it were obvious and there was no other explanation. I walked to the open door and peered inside. It was incredible.

The entire back window was glass and looked out on the now dulling lake. It was actually faintly reminiscent of Edward's room. "It's amazing." I didn't want to leave. Even the colors of the room were inviting. The walls were bone white with a sage green trim at the ceiling and on the floor.

He couldn't contain the smile he had been suppressing rather well. "It's yours."

I choked. "Its _what?_" I could feel my eyes grow to the size of grapefruit. _Mine???_

"Don't you like it?" He was concerned now.

"I love it. But I mean…wow. Quite a surprise." I looked more intently at the room. It was lightly furnished but not run down or a fixer-upper at all. It was already fixed up.

"But you like it?" He looked relieved.

The shock passed quickly. The apartment was really beautiful. And it even had multiple rooms. I saw two or three doors leading off on either wall. "Of course I do!" I threw myself at him and he caught me with steady arms, they held me close to his cold body. "Thank you. And why the sudden, _huge_ surprise?"

An apartment. We had an apartment. _Our_ apartment.

"Birthday present." He bought me an apartment. "I almost backed out when everything happened but it turned around." Me and Edward…an apartment. "So I know that you still have school and there's no way you aren't going but I was thinking maybe you wouldn't want to spend _every_ weekend in Forks."

"Wait you too, right?" He hadn't actually used the word _we_ yet. I had only assumed but why not?

"Only if you want me to. It's yours, your place, your choice." He looked me directly in the eye but let no betraying emotion slip into his golden eyes.

"I can hardly imagine you letting me spend a whole weekend by myself in _Seattle_ when you spend almost every night watching over me in Forks." He let a smile crack his smooth, guarded composure.

"I never said I wouldn't look after you."

"Well, I must say that is slightly creepy." I giggled when his brow furrowed, "But also very sweet." I stood on my tip-toes and he bent his head so that our lips touched lightly. He pulled me tightly to him, his cold lips set mine on fire but only for a moment. He pulled me gently away laughed at my unhappy expression.

He glanced around. "Maybe we could go furniture shopping, the place is a bit empty." I made a face. _Furniture shopping? _"Too domestic?" He chuckled.

"No. Its just so…grown up." I would probably end up sitting in the massage chairs at La-Z-Boy, begging Edward for one for each room.

"I'll buy you an ice cream." He flashed that perfect crooked smile and the sad thing was, I nearly accepted.

"Ha ha." I said dryly, "I don't need to be bribed. If we go together, it will be perfect. So since it is the weekend and I have no Charlie to look out for, I was thinking I might try sleeping in."

"Well the maid comes at ten but I don't think you will be able to manage to sleep that long." He twirled a long strand of my hair around his finger. The contrast of the dark to light was beautiful.

"A what?" I couldn't believe he would actually hire a maid.

"A maid, Bella. Would you like me to spell it for you?" I rolled my eyes.

"Why on earth would we need a maid?" I couldn't help but smile when I said 'we'.

"Not really so much to clean as to…make sure everything is as it should be." He took my face in his hands and kissed my nose.

I was confused. "Um. I don't get it, you mean like so that no one stole anything or moved the furniture around?"

"Far worse than burglary, love. There is no way that I would let myself be here with you if someone didn't know we were together. The maid comes every Saturday, Sunday _and_ Monday." I brought my fist up to hit him in the chest but he was too quick and held both of my wrists in his fingers.

"Ugh! I don't even know why I'm mad! God!" I wrestled against his handcuffs but he held strong.

He didn't even bother with being upset, he just laughed. "You know that you will only end up hurting yourself if I let you go right?"

"I…ok." I gave up because he was right and I knew that any further argument would be lost on my part. Still, I thought the maid was overkill.

"Good. Now, I'm sure you're starving." He smiled and motioned at the door.

**A/N: I know that's sort of a crappy ending but I want to put this chapter up so that you guys don't think I've completely abandoned the story. I **_**promise**_** more will happen next chapter. Hope u enjoyed, questions? Comments? Concerns? Review!!! Bitten**


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